Various Artists

The Rough Guide to Irish Folk

(World Music Network)

Various Artists: The Rough Guide to Irish Folk

By Chris Massey

If you don’t know what Irish music is, then this is a good place to start. Bringing everything from jigs to unaccompanied vocal solos from the Celtic island, this is an Irish music lover’s dream, and an excellent primer for anyone just looking to broaden their musical horizons.

The World Music Network, who puts out The Rough Guide to Irish Folk, is in the business of bringing music from other countries and cultures to the masses, with over one hundred discs such as this one, anything from salsa to reggae, Brazil to Zimbabwe, or even “The Best of Africa.” Each CD is touted as a rough guide to the country and it’s musical styles. This being so, The Rough Guide to Irish Folk offers an enticing plethora of Irish music. As the liner notes warn, “with such a vast array of quality music constantly flooding out of Ireland, this compilation ca